Topspin

Topspin is used where you want the white to continue moving forwards after making contact with the object ball. To apply topspin to the cue ball, line up the shot exactly as you would normally and then raise your bridge hand slightly so that you are aiming higher up on the cue ball whilst still keeping the cue parallel to the bed of the table.

Cueing a shot with topspin does not require a different approach from playing a plain ball shot and there is no need to try to scoop it up or down or to hit it harder. Keeping the cue parallel to the table maximises the amount of spin applied and reduces the chances of miscueing. As a general principle, the higher up on the cue ball you strike and the harder you hit it, the further forwards it will travel.

Backspin

Backspin, or screw as it is commonly known, has the opposite effect to topspin and is used where you want to move the cue ball backwards after contact with the object ball. Backspin is applied by striking the cue ball below the centre, and requires your bridge to be lowered by moving your wrist and finger tips further apart until your hand is virtually flat on the table.

To effectively apply backspin it is vital to keep the cue as near parallel to the table as possible and to cue right through the white. One of the most common misconceptions amongst beginners is that the way to screw a ball back is to jab down or stab at it. In fact, this dramatically reduces the amount of spin applied and increases the chance of bouncing the cue ball or imparting unwanted sidespin. It is a combination of how low you hit the ball and the pace of the shot which determines how far the cue ball will screw back.

Sidespin

Sidespin, or side as it is commonly known, is achieved by striking the white to the left or right of centre, depending on which way you want the spin to take effect, and can also be combined with topspin by hitting above the centre of the ball on the left or right side or similarly with backspin by hitting below the centre. There are three principal effects of playing a shot with side (each of which need to be taken into account on any shot, even if only to exclude their effect):

a) The path of the cue ball deviates before it reaches the object ball. This is the characteristic of side first experienced by most beginners and is used where you want to alter the angle of the cue ball off one or more cushions when escaping from a snooker. Side can also be combined with backspin to bend the cue ball round intervening balls (known as swerving the ball).

b) The cue ball takes a different path after it has struck the object ball. This is the most common use of side amongst more experienced players and allows a wider range of positional options by widening or narrowing the path of the cue ball off the cushion after contact with the object ball.

c) The contact between the cue ball and object ball is altered. This is usually more a side effect that the desired result, but can be used to pot balls that would otherwise not go because you cannot see enough of the ball.